Distributor for cans



July 4, 1950 J. JAK$0N ETAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR CANS 3 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1946 w on \n X WWW v/ m Jr HQ n57 Q W ww m llli\\\ y 1950 J. JACKSON ET AL 2,514,067

- DISTRIBUTOR FOR CANS Filed Jan. 18, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 awe/whom IL. JACKSON E. B. 7'/ Pro/v MWWMU y 1950 J. L. JACKSON E IAL 2,514,067

DISTRIBUTOR FOR CANS Filed Jan. 18, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IL. JACKSON E. B. T/FTON the accompanying drawings Patented July 4, 1950 more, Md assignors to Co'ntin'entaLCanCom pan-y, Inc., NewYoi-k, N.- YL, a-corporation of New York Application January 18, 1946,"Seiial llo; 642,006

'7 Claims.

The following specification relatesv to curin vention of a novel distributor forcans and similar: articles.-

Mechanical handling of cans delivered by can closing machines necessitates movement of these cans by conveyers, runways or the like which may also serve the additional purpose of distributing or dividing the cans into a plurality of paths for subsequent manipulation such as labeling and packing. This handling of the closed cans usually depends upon movement of one can-by another or an accumulation of cans moving in contact with each other.

It is an object of our invention to advance and distribute cans separately and individually without reliance upon motion being imparted by one' c'an to another as is the case when they are pushed along a runway by pressure fromcans in the: rear.

Another object of our invention is. to use a common means to efiect not only the conveying of the cans independently, but also their distribution-individually according to prior plan.

Incidental to the above purpose, it is our ob= ject-toavoid using a star wheel as a sole reliance for primarily distributing the individual cans;

At-the-same time it is a further object of our invention to utilize the star wheel to insure that the cans clear the joint conveying and distributingmeans;

It' is also a further object of our invention. to utilize the star wheels as adjuncts in the disposition of the cans by providing thatthey supplement the action of the dividing rail.

' These and other objects of our invention will be apparent from the following description. of the preferred form of our mechanism as illustrated' in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of our improved distr-ibutor;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and

Fig; 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line:3-3 of'Fig. 1.

As illustrating the essential features of: the invention embodied in our preferred form thereof, show, broadly, means to receive and convey cans individually intoand' through a station where they are ins dividually diverted into separate runways according to prior plan.

The machinery is mounted upon a table l-l supported-at one. end on a pedestal l2 andattached at the opp'osite end to the apron l3 of aturreted can-closing machine, or the like. It is, of course, understood that such can-closing machine; not

2 forming part: of the invention, includes means fer disc harging closed cans in independent and spaced order upon the table ll where they are engagedsuccessively for separate advance and distribution.

Onthe table II near theapron l3 are parallel spaced guides l4 and I5. These guides are'ad jiistably clamped onthe table tofo'rm a passage-' way suitably proportioned to receive cans or similar articles; i In the example illustrated, the passageway between the guides l4 and [5" receives a cylindrical can [6' resting upon one of its ends.

Guide Mhas' an extension I! whileasimilar extension IB'is attached to guide 15. Extensions l1 and I8 form side rails for two pz'ira'llel-adjacent runways Ill-and 20 each of which permits the passage of cans 2|; 22 after they have been apportioned between the adjacent runways I9 and 2|].-

A center rail 23 separates the runways 19' and 20 an'd has a tapering frontedge or point 21.

The table H has-a longitudinal central slot 25 in which a link conveyer chain 26 passes. Beneath the table at the'pedestal end are a pair of: aligned bearings 21, 21 which serveto receive atransverse shaft 28. Centrally of the shaft 28 is a sprocket wheel 29 keyed to rotate the shaft 28'.

The sprocket wheel is drivenby" the chain 26 from a. drive sprocket, not illustrated, suitably mounted beneath the table at the end nearer the closing machine. A shaft 29 journaled in the table II is vertically adjustable to carry a tensioningidler not shown. In this manner the chain26 is constrained to pass horizontally" and substantially. in the plane in the upper surface of the table as shown in Fig. 2'.

Suitably positioned along the linksof' the chain 26 are upstanding lugs-30,.3l'. These lugs are arranged in pairs with the lugs 30in advance of the l'ugs 3 I. The lugs 30 in advanced position are alternately located on opposite sides of the chain 26 in "themanner' shown in Fig. 1.

ShaftZBhas asmall bevel gear 32 keyed at each end. Matching bevel gears 33, 33 are keyed to the lower ends of'vertical stub shafts 34, 34' suitably held inverticaljournals 35, 35 ofthe bearings 2T, 21.

Cover plates 36, 36 complete the housingof the gears 32, 33-.

Suitably keyed to theupper ends of the shafts 31; 3-4 are'star wheels-31,38. Asindicated in Fig. 3;,th'e star wheels rotatein a planespaee'd'above the levelof table I I so that the cans which are'be- 995141037 I X :al

vanced. Each star wheel has intervening pockets 45 between the adjacent bladesv 42. These pockets are rormded at the bottom to'conform to-the di-..

ameter of the cans being distributed. The forward edge of the pocket extends at an advanced angle with respect to the radiusof-the wheel. The.

advancing front wall has an inclination substanit rotates.

The rear edge of the pocket45 advances to the rounded point i! where the pocket meets the circular periphery of the star wheel.

The pocket 45 of one star wheel is set to rotate opposite the peripheral edge of the other star wheel. This is clearly indicated in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the peripheral edge of the star wheel thus forms a continuation of the center rail 23 in advance of its point 24. e

Cans from the closing machine received from the apron l3 are delivered over the traveling conveyer chain 26. Each can, of course, is delivered separately and at spaced intervals of time. Each can IB is picked up and advanced by the forward lug 30 of each pair arranged in echelon formation on the conveyer chain.

Thus the can is advanced along the passageway between the guides l4 and I5 and their side rail extensions l1 and I8.

As the can l6 comes to the flaring portion between the side rails I1 and 68, the lug 30 being at one side of the median line, gives the can a push to the opposite side so that it follows the flaring portion of either side rail ll or I8, as. the case may be. In this position, as shown by can 48, the rear lug 3| of the pair has engaged the periphery of the can. The can is then given an oblique push by the pressure from both lugs 30 and 3| jointly in the direction of the diverging portion of the side rail. i This movement continues until the can is sub-: stantially clear of the lugs 30 and 3|. In this movement the rounded point 47 of the star wheel 3? as well as the peripheral face of the latter, insure the distribution of the can into the appropriate discharge runway i9 or 28. Can 49 is shown to have thus been distributed into the runway-l9 and the pocket 45 of the star wheel 31.

It will be noted that flange 43 of the star wheel 31 is high enough to permit lugs 30 and 3| to pass underneath and around sprocket chain 29.

Further rotation of the star wheel brings the advancing edge 46 substantially beneath the side rail so that the rear edgeof the pocket then serves to advance the can into the position shown at 2| and 22. 1

From this point, the cans pass along runways I9 and either by gravity, pressure from behind or by the use of a moving belt as a bottom for the runway. I

It is significant that the novel apparatus thus outlined operates on the cans or other. similar articles separately. Further, each article is directed into the intended path in advance of its engagement with a star wheel. At the most, the

wheel gives only a final or supplementary push to the can in removing the latter from the incoming path and thereafter serves mainly to guide the can and finally to give it a straight-line push along the selected discharge passageway. The star wheel is also raised above the base rim of thecan and thusclearstheline of travel of the forwarding conveyer chain and its lugs. H e

The structure above described makes possible the advance separately of individual cans as received from a manufacturing or filling and closing machine and their distribution into two or moredischarge paths according to prior plan. Variation inthe size of the pockets in the star wheel. orintheir'number and arrangement will permit handling cans of different sizes and increase in the number of discharge paths. Ac-

cordingly' these'and other changes in size. form tially coinciding with the side rail beneath which:

andarrangement of parts as well as materials and mechanical detailsgare possible within the scope of the, following claims.

What.we claim is:

1. A machine of the class described having a passageway, two discharge passageways leading therefrom and having a common dividingrail, a. conveyer running longitudinally through the center of the initial passageway to the dividing rail, and directing means on the conveyer and laterally of its center line to engage an article. and forward it into a preselected discharge passageway.

2. A machine of the class described havi ga passageway, a discharge passageway leading therefrom and having a dividing rail axially of said first named passageway, a conveyer running longitudinally through thecenter of theinitial passageway to the dividing rail, anda pair of upstanding lugs arranged in echelon on the con-- veyer for engaging an article and forwarding it into said discharge passageway.

3. A machine of the class described havinga passageway, two discharge passageways leading therefrom and having a common dividing rail; a conveyerrunning longitudinally through the center of the initial passageway to the dividing rail, and pairs of upstanding lugs arranged-in echelon and one lug of each pair on each side of the conveyer for engaging an article and forward: ing it into a preselected discharge passageway.

4. A machine of the class describedhavinga passageway, two discharge passageways leading therefrom and having a common dividing-rail, a conveyer running longitudinally through the center of the initial passageway to the dividing rail, spaced pairs of upstanding lugs arranged successively in oppositely inclined echelons on the conveyer, each pair of lugs engaging an article and forwarding it into a selected discharge passageway.

5. A machine of the class described having a passageway with side walls. two discharge passageways having side walls with flaring portions connecting with the walls of the initial passageway, a common rail between said discharge passageways, a conveyer running longitudinally through the center of the initial passageway to the dividing rail, pairs of upstanding lugs each pair arranged in echelon on the conveyer for-engaging an article and forwarding it along a flaring portion of one side rail and into the corresponding discharge passageway. I

6. A machine of the class described hav'ng a passageway, two: discharge passageways leading therefrom and having outer rails and a common dividing rail, 9. conveyer running longitudinally through the center of the initial passageway to the dividing rail, pairs of upstanding lugs each pair arranged in echelon on the conveyer, and. a star Wheel rotating horizontally in each discharge passageway, said star wheels having peripheries overlying the conveyer in advance of the dividing rail and pockets of substantially the same depth as the width of the discharge passageway.

'7. A machine of the class described having a passageway, two discharge passageways leading therefrom and having a common dividing rail, the forward end of the rail being raised above the floor of the passageways, a conveyer running longitudinally through the center of the initial passageway to a point beneath the dividing rail, lugs on the conveyer laterally of said dividing rail and projecting above the floor of the initial JOSEPH L. JACKSON. EUGENE B. TIPTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,122,242 Augensen Dec. 29, 1914 2,108,522 Bergmann Feb. 15, 1938 2,404,232 Hunter July 16, 1946 

